


Daydreams and Other Catastrophes

by beaglesinbowties (Girlblunder)



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, F/F, Mild Sexual Content, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-13
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-26 13:16:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6240769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Girlblunder/pseuds/beaglesinbowties
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kara has a weird dream about Lucy that leaves her utterly confused. It's alright though - at least until Lucy shows up on her doorstep asking for a favor. </p><p>Based on a prompt received during Femslash February for "They Do Exist!" Thursdays.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

Kara blinks as she wakes up, disoriented by her dream but not able to remember exactly what it was about. She throws her legs over the side of her bed and just sits for a few moments, blinking blearily and trying to wake up.

"Lucy?" she calls out into the apartment. There's no response and she yawns.

She stands and shrugs, heading for the bathroom to take care of her morning routine. It isn't until she's brushing her teeth that she notices something odd.

There's only one toothbrush at the sink. She opens the cabinet and only spots Alex's just-in-case toothbrush. Where's Lucy's toothbrush?

She hurriedly finishes brushing her teeth, frowning while she rinses out her mouth. She absently pats her face with a towel before she heads out toward the kitchen.

The apartment is cool and dark. Kara sits on the couch in confusion, trying to figure out what's wrong with her today. Where is Lucy?

She sits for several minutes before it hits her.

_Oh._

The dream.

Kara blushes and buries her face in her hands, glad that she's finally woken up. The realization that the dream in which she and Lucy had been in love and living together happily was just that - a dream - is somehow only half comforting.

In the dream it had been nice having someone to snuggle with all the time, and Lucy always smells so _good_. She bolts up from the couch when she realizes just what she's thinking.

The dream has her all discombobulated; she has a crush on _James_ and has no idea where this odd scenario has come from. She pushes aside the odd lingering feelings and goes about her routine.

It's a Saturday, so she doesn't need to head into the office. She doesn't have any specific plans in mind, so maybe a little Supergirl patrolling is in order for the day. She can bug Alex _and_ help people, a win-win situation as far as Kara is concerned.

She pours herself a bowl of cereal and eats in silence, feeling mostly content despite her odd start to the day.

As she's finishing off her Frosted Flakes, a knock on the door catches her by surprise. She hastily puts her bowl down and wipes at her face, peeking with her x-ray vision as she approaches the door.

Lucy, looking as fabulous as always in dark jeans and an off the shoulder cream colored shirt, is patiently waiting on the other side of the door. Kara hastily gulps down the bite of cereal she had been working on with wides eyes. Why is Lucy _here_?

Her face feels like it's on fire again. She doesn't want to open the door, not after the embarrassing dream but she can't be rude and leave Lucy standing outside all morning. She only remembers to rush back to find her glasses right before opening the door.

"Lucy?" Kara squeaks as she opens the door. She clears her throat. "Uh, w-what are you…?"

Lucy lets out a small sigh, a wry smile on her face. "Kara, I'm so sorry to bug you so early in the morning, but I needed to talk to you as soon as possible."

Kara's discomfort fades as she examines the small lines pinching around Lucy's eyes and mouth. Lucy looks troubled. Kara opens the door wider and steps back. "Yeah, sure. Come on in."

She closes the door and tries not to blush when she realizes she's still in her pajamas. Her one consolation is that her favorite pajama pants with the big smiley faces are dirty. The benign plaid ones she's wearing now are tame, at least.

"C-can I get you anything?" she asks as Lucy takes a seat on the couch.

Lucy smiles and shakes her head. "No, but thank you."

Kara nods and looks from the couch to the cushioned chairs just opposite of it. She desperately doesn't want to sit next to Lucy right now, but Lucy _does_ look upset and what if Kara needs to comfort her?

She sits on the middle cushion gingerly, leaving a sizeable gap between her and Lucy.

Lucy looks down at her lap and smoothes her hands over her denim-clad thighs. "I...need to ask you a favor, Kara."

When she raises her head, she looks tired. There's faint bags under her eyes and her normally bright blue eyes are oddly dulled.

"What is it?" Kara gently prods.

Lucy glances down and tucks some loose hair behind her ear. "Would it be alright if I stayed with you for a little while?"

Kara's mind rushes through a series of thought. _Why would Lucy need to stay with me? She lives with James. Unless...oh. Oh god, can she stay with me? How would I be able to keep my cover? She knows Alex from the DEO and Alex is over here a lot. How long would it take Lucy to figure out-_

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I know that y-"

"Lucy, no. It's not that," Kara says as she reaches out to place a gentle hand on Lucy's arm to keep her from standing up. "What happened?"

"I've ended things with James - again. For good this time, I think." Lucy stares down at the hands folded over her lap, thumbs patting out a nearly silent beat on her thighs. "I could rent my own place, but after everything I'm not sure I want to stay here. I just need a little time to figure things out."

Kara's stomach lurches. Though she'd been conflicted about Lucy's status as James's girlfriend, after getting to know her Kara doesn't want her to _leave_. There's finally someone standing up to Miss Grant on a consistent basis, and going to work is that much more appealing. She likes Lucy.

Her face heats up when she remembers her dream, and she hastily pushes the memory away.

"Of course you can stay with me," she finds herself saying.

Lucy looks up. She still looks sad, but there's a glimmer of something in her eyes. She smiles slowly. "Thank you, Kara. I really appreciate it."

Kara grins back, glad to see Lucy looking just a little happier. She frowns after a moment. "Oh I, uh, I kinda just realized I kind of only have one bedroom. My sister usually just sleeps with me when she stays over."

"I don't mind the couch," Lucy says as she bounces twice to test the cushion below her, "it seems comfortable. I just need a little time to try and figure out what I want to do."

There's something in her face that makes Kara stop asking questions. Lucy has the resources to do any number of things in this situation; Kara can't help but think that Lucy's _here_ because she needs a friend.

They're friends, or so Kara likes to think. They drink coffee together sometimes and chat a lot at work - they've even hung out after work a few times without Winn _or_ James along.

"Well as long as you're sure that's okay, I'd love to have you here for a while." Kara smiles and fidgets with her glasses as Lucy relaxes and leans back into the couch.

"I really appreciate this, Kara." Lucy brings an arm to rest on the back of the couch, her palm supporting her head. Kara forgets to reminds Lucy that she's already said that as something niggles at her thoughts.

The position stirs and odd sense of deja vu in Kara. Though the dream she'd struggled with upon waking had begun to rapidly fade, bits of it surface abruptly.

Kara's hands are clenched dangerously tight in her lap as she looks away from Lucy and squeezes her eyes shut. At this part in the dream Lucy had smiled at her and pulled her over by an arm until they were snuggled together. It hadn't taken long until they were kissing and-

 _Nope. Nooope. Nopity nope nope_.

Kara thinks about penguins gliding across snow and ice, about the average rainfall in southern California, and about finding buying some new brushes to paint with.

"Is everything alright, Kara? If me being here is going to be a problem, it's fi-"

"No, no," Kara blurts out as she turns, "that's not it. I just, haha, I had a weird dream today and a part of it came back all of a sudden and it was a little embarrassing and, wow, okay I'm kind of - do you want coffee or something?" Kara quickly stands and rubs her hands down the sides of her pajama pants in an effort to wipe her sweaty palms.

Lucy's head is tilted as she examines Kara, but she shrugs after a moment. "No, thank you. I have some other things I need to handle today now that I've got a place to stay for a while."

Kara fidgets with the hem of her t-shirt as Lucy gets up from the couch. "D-do you need help with anything?"

She remembers that Lucy is only here because things haven't worked out with James. Kara feels guilty and even more embarrassed than before.

Lucy is _here_ because she needs a place to stay and a friendly face; the last thing she needs is Kara being weird just because of some silly dream.

"You're already helping," Lucy says softly. She reaches out a hand and softly squeezes at Kara's bicep.

Kara swallows. The spot where Lucy's touching is so warm. She can just catch the scent of Lucy's modestly applied perfume. It's a soft floral scent with a hint of something spicy; Kara can't help but think it suits her perfectly.

The touch is gone before Kara thinks to react, and Lucy is walking towards the door. Kara scrambles to catch up, wanting to walk her new temporary roommate out.

"I guess I'll call you later to let you know when I'm coming?" Lucy asks as the arrives at the door and turns to Kara.

"Yeah, that sounds good. You've got my number, and I was only planning on bugging my sister today so," Kara forces herself to stop speaking and shrugs.

Lucy chuckles lowly. "Later."

"Later," Kara repeats as Lucy opens the door and leaves.

Kara stares at the door for several minutes without moving. When everything about her morning finally sinks in, she scrambles for her phone a moment later.

"Alex, oh god I'm so glad you picked up! Uh, listen, I've kind of got a situation and...uh. So, I guess I kind of agreed to let someone stay here for a while? Um, not just anyone, but kind of a Lucy Lane someone?" Her voice is unpleasantly high as she finishes speaking. She paces and runs her free hand through her hair as silence descends on the other side of the line.

" _Kara, do you enjoy making our lives difficult?_ " Alex asks in a pained tone.

"Um, no?" Kara grimaces and rubs her hand over her forehead.

" _Well you're really good at it_ ," Alex says under her breath.

Kara scowls. "I have _super_ hearing, remember?"

" _I know_ ," comes the patient reply.

Kara's scowl deepens. "What are we going to do?"

" _Ugh, you're lucky I love you_." Though the declaration sounds somewhat threatening, Kara smiles because Alex _always_ has her back.

She's not upset when Alex hangs up without saying goodbye. Kara is pretty sure she'll be over any minute now, possibly with coffee and donuts.

Probably just the coffee, she corrects after a moment of thinking.

* * *

Kara stares wistfully at the empty donut box. Alex had finished her donuts on the way, and had only brought the box to "teach Kara a lesson". Kara thinks Alex is just being cruel.

"It's not like I planned this. What was I supposed to do? She just broke up with James and she needs a friend." She tips the lid of the pink box open and swipes at a small trace of powdered sugar.

"Right, because what she needs is to move in with the woman that has huge crush on her ex. Not to mention the woman whose sister is kind of a top secret agent that she's already met. Living together? Kara, it'll take her _maybe_ a few days to figure out who you are." Alex looks solemn as she speaks, her lips downturned in a small frown.

Kara has to look away. "I can't _not_ help her, Alex."

Alex heaves a large sigh. "I know."

Though Alex stops speaking, Kara can feel the weight of Alex's concerned gaze. The fabric of her pajama pants becomes fascinating.

She feels a current of air brush over her bare arm as Alex reaches for the pink box on the cushion between them and tosses it to the coffee table. The middle cushion dips as Alex scoots closer and sighs again.

There's a soft crinkling of paper, and then a small white bag is deposited into Kara's lap. The logo of the donut shop has Kara tearing into it the moment Alex's hand is away.

"Cruller!" she declares triumphantly as she tugs the pastry out of the bag.

"Only one," Alex says gruffly in an effort to seem tough.

Kara takes a huge bite of her donut and offers Alex a large grin. Some crumbs escape and fall down her t-shirt.

"Gross. Inhale the damn thing and then we'll talk some more."

There's an affection in Alex's voice that makes Kara smile. She takes her time eating the rest of the donut, savoring the comfort of the treat and Alex. Her worry over Lucy finding out her secrets fades, and she lets herself reflect on how much she might be able to help Lucy instead.

She finishes her donut with a flourish and leans her head against Alex's shoulder. "Lucy's a good person."

Alex's shoulder moves as she lets out a long breath. "Should I come over less while she's here?"

Kara considers it only briefly. "Not _totally_. Maybe just the first few days so I can, you know, ease into things. She worked with her dad for a long time and never told any secrets - she didn't even tell James. If she figures things out, she knows how to keep a secret."

"Are you sure about that?" Alex asks. She sounds hesitant, cautious - her urge to protect Kara as apparent as always.

It makes Kara think about how Lucy has been standing up for her at work - and in many cases, encouraging her to stand up for herself. The small smiles and short but meaningful chats always leave Kara with a good feeling. "I'm sure," she says.

"Okay."

Kara knows Alex won't stop worrying, but she does know Alex trusts her judgement. She almost tells Alex about the dream, but stops herself. The dream is mostly faded now anyway.

* * *

Alex is gone by the time Lucy returns late that evening with a suitcase and a small box of things. Kara helps her bring the large suitcase in, rolling it over to a far corner of the main living area.

"My sister thought this might be a good idea," Kara says as she stops the suitcase in front of a freshly restored dresser. It only has two drawers, but there's a simple metal rack next to it that will allow Lucy to hang several sets of clothes.

"It's perfect," Lucy says. Kara can hear the smile in her voice.

Kara rubs a hand self-consciously over the smooth top of the dresser. She'd finished staining it in a hurry, but she's happy with the result. "Great. I only have the one bathroom, but I've cleared some space for you."

"Thank you."

 _This isn't awkward_ , Kara tells herself as she fidgets with the handle to the suitcase. She clears her throat and faces Lucy. "Um, my sister comes over a lot, but if you're ever feeling crowded just let me know. We can hang out at her place too."

Lucy shakes her head. "Kara, this is your place and you're doing me a favor. I'm sure I'll be fine. I mean, you're pretty amazing so your sister must be, too."

"She is pretty awesome," Kara says with an affectionate grin.

It takes her a moment to realize she's been staring at Lucy for what's probably an inappropriate amount of time. It's really not her fault - Lucy's smile is kind of magical in how happy it makes her feel.

"Uh, so why don't I let you get your stuff put away, and I'll see about dinner. I don't cook much because I'm too big of a fan of takeout, but I can whip _something_ up if you're hungry." Kara tugs at the hem of her button up shirt, glad that she's at least dressed like an adult.

Lucy's low chuckle makes Kara feel warm. Kara has always really liked how her eyes and nose crinkle when she's amused, mostly because Kara never has to wonder if she's pretending. Lucy is a formidable general counsel for CatCo, but with her friends she's one of the most genuine people Kara has ever met.

"I'd like that," Lucy admits. Her shoulders dip slightly. "I know I've kind of been like a broken record for saying this, but thank you for letting me stay here. The last few days have been so exhausting, but I feel," she pauses and looks slowly around, "comfortable here. I hope that's not too weird to say."

Kara thinks it's anything but weird. "I'm glad you're comfortable here."

She's doing that staring thing again, she realizes a few beats later. Anyone would think she has a crush on Lucy rather than James with the way she's behaving. She steps away from Lucy's suitcase with an awkward smile.

This can all be chalked up to that stupid dream she's struggling to remember, she decides. Just because she can't pull specific details up at will, it doesn't mean her subconscious isn't functioning perfectly well.

As she starts plotting out something for dinner, she has to fight not to glance over at Lucy. There's something about the situation that niggles at her, but she can't pinpoint it.

"How about french toast for dinner?" she asks after several minutes of managing to focus on the contents of her kitchen.

"Breakfast for dinner? I knew coming here was a good idea." Lucy sounds pleased, though distracted.

Kara hums and hurriedly pulls the ingredients together when she suddenly remembers Lucy's enthusiasm for french toast - and other things - from her dream world.

She keeps herself busy with food preparations as she tries to ignore the return of these decidedly unwanted memories.

"So," Lucy says as she finishes putting her things away. "Why don't you tell me a little more about your sister? You've talked about her a little at work, but since I'll probably finally get to meet her, I'm curious."

Though Kara is uncomfortable at first, she warms to the idea of talking about Alex. "She's the best big sister in the world. She acts tough, but she's the biggest softy you'll ever meet."

Delight makes Lucy's lips tilt upward as she moves closer to the kitchen. "Tell me more. I want to know _all_ the dirt before I meet her."

Kara laughs. Lucy has no idea what she's asking for.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intended to get this out sooner, but I've been basically been working two jobs for my company this week so that put a crimp in that. I hope you enjoy this conclusion. :)

* * *

The first few days of having Lucy around prove to be quite a learning curve for Kara. She's always been able to be herself in her own personal space at home, and having to curb part of herself proves to be...less than ideal. She silently wishes that Lucy would just figure out that she's Supergirl already. Maybe she could even just tell her, but then, no. Not yet, anyway.

Lucy is a neat roommate, sometimes even neater than Kara. Kara doesn't blame herself, but rather Lucy's time in the military. A little mess is respectable; it proves that a place is lived in rather than a showroom. In any case, Lucy never seems annoyed by a forgotten bowl or haphazardly tossed sketchpad and pencils.

They've bonded over the last few days, talking and learning more small things about each other. It's been kind of nice, Kara admits.

As an added benefit she can ride with Lucy to work now. Lucy's sedan is nice and comfortable, and Lucy has proven to be an excellent driver. It beats the bus, and Kara really shouldn't be flying to work if she wants to maintain her secret identity.

There's only one rather distinct issue with their new arrangement: James. It's only day two of coming into work with Lucy, and Kara can already feel the divide at CatCo. She cares for both James and Lucy, but it's clear the two are not comfortable around each other at work.

Kara starts spending less time with James. She's not sure if it's guilt over daring to have a crush on him while he and Lucy were together, or just a newfound sense of camaraderie she's established with Lucy. Either way, she doesn't seek out James alone anymore. It seems wrong to do so.

It probably doesn't help that she keeps having dreams about another kind of life with Lucy. She doesn't have them every night, but she has been alarmed to find the two dreams she's had have a habit of getting tangled with reality. Siobhan has already given her several odd looks for getting caught up in a memory - daydream - whatever.

A little extra time flying around today might help clear her head. National City has been fairly quiet over the last week, and Kara wants to enjoy taking care of smaller problems for average citizens while she can. She just has to be careful to remember not to fly directly to her apartment again. She'd gotten lucky yesterday that Lucy had been out running errands.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Siobhan sounds bored, but when Kara glances over she sees a smug grin on her coworker's face.

Kara blinks and remembers she was supposed to run out and grab Cat's lunch a few minutes ago. She's irritated that Siobhan has let her sit this long before saying something, but she pushes the feeling away. It's her own fault for getting distracted. Again.

She hurries out even though it's unlikely that Miss Grant's salad will "get cold". A break from CatCo will do her good.

Naturally, she bumps into Lucy at the elevator.

"Kara," Lucy says brightly, "running out to grab lunch?"

"Yeah, well, Miss Grant's lunch." Kara worries that her smile is too big. She adjusts her glasses.

"In that case I won't keep you. I still have a lot of files to go through so I'm still not sure what time I'll be back at the apartment, so don't wait for me for dinner, alright?" Lucy shifts her weight on her heels, bringing Kara's attention to the thick stack of files under one of her arms.

"Well, we always order too much so there will probably be something left for you anyway." Kara isn't sure why she isn't relieved to hear Lucy will probably miss out on TV night - she and Alex have been worried about Alex's first official meet with Lucy as a civilian - but she manages to keep smiling.

"I'll keep that in mind. Later." Just like that Lucy is striding away, confident and focused.

"Later," Kara mumbles. She watches Lucy for a few steps before turning back to the elevators and realizing that she's missed both and she now has to wait. The stairs are tempting, but Kara knows there are security cameras there.

The numbers move slowly as Kara stares. After a few seconds she decides that Winn can help her erase any questionable footage caught on camera. As she makes her way to the stairwell, she tries to chalk up her disappointment for the evening to the fact that she'd rather just get the second introductions over with. The idea seems hollow.

Lucy's seen pictures of Alex at Kara's apartment now, and Kara has even boasted about her FBI employed sister. Alex's cover is in place and Lucy has had time to adjust to the idea. Things should go smoothly enough. Well, they would go smoothly if Lucy would bother to show up.

"Crud," Kara mumbles when she reaches the bottom of the stairs and realizes she's upset because she _wants_ Lucy around for TV night.

* * *

She and Alex are snuggled on the couch and halfway through their DVR marathon when Lucy gets home. Kara immediately pauses Homeland.

"Lucy, hey."

Lucy offers her a tired smile. "Hey."

"Aaand, I will be back for introductions in a sec," Alex says as she stands, "right after I take this excellent opportunity to use the bathroom."

Kara rolls her eyes as Alex scurries from the room. "I guess you've got great timing. She gets so into things that she doesn't want to move."

Lucy chuckles and walks further into the apartment, kicking her heels off once she's next to the couch. "She's not the only one. You said there would be food left?"

"Yep, there's heaps. I hope you like Thai." Kara is glad that she didn't let Alex deter her from ordering extra.

"I _love_ Thai." Lucy perks up and wanders over to the kitchen.

Kara watches her with a small smile on her face. She and Lucy are still learning each other's likes and dislikes, but she'd had a pretty good feeling about what she'd picked.

The door to the bathroom opens with a small creak, and then Alex returns.

"What'd I miss?" Alex asks as she walks casually over to Kara. She doesn't sit right away, no doubt anticipating the impending introduction.

"Lucy's hungry," Kara offers thoughtfully.

"Lucy's _very_ hungry," Lucy corrects from the kitchen - where she's piling food onto a plate.

Alex smacks her lips together. "I think it's time for dessert."

Kara's confused for a moment. They hadn't ordered dessert.

When Alex pulls down a wine glass from a cupboard, Kara's confusion clears.

Alex pauses in reaching for the wine to turn to Lucy. "Alex Danvers," she says politely as she extends her hand.

Alex has always been better at the social thing than Kara when she really _tries_ , and Kara is partially relieved that she won't have to start the introductions.

Lucy's lips twitch. "Lucy Lane," she replies as she accepts the handshake.

"Lucy Lane," Alex repeats as the handshake ends, "would you like some wine?" She opens the refrigerator and retrieves the bottle of Riesling she'd had chilling. It's held up for Lucy's inspection.

"Sure," Lucy says after a brief pause.

Alex grins. "Great."

Kara isn't sure why, but the scene is off putting to her. She'd expected discomfort between the two women - forced to lie on their first meeting that isn't really their first meeting - but they seem fairly relaxed around each other.

"Have you two met before?" she blurts out. Alex sends her a glare over Lucy's shoulder. Lucy looks surprised for the barest of moments before she's relaxed again.

"Not that I can remember. Then again, you talk about Lucy so much I kinda feel like I already know her," Alex says.

Kara glares. She does not appreciate the smug grin Alex is sporting. She doesn't talk about Lucy _that_ much. They're roommates now, so of course she has things to say about Lucy.

"Kara has actually told me a lot about you too," Lucy admits.

"Has she told you how much I hate missing TV nights? I'll pour your wine and you can join us if you want, but I need to catch up on my shows." Alex pulls a second wine glass from the cupboard and fills them neatly before stowing the wine back in the refrigerator.

When they settle back on the couch, Kara tells herself that everything is fine. She doesn't have a problem with Alex sitting in the middle and Lucy sitting on the far side away from Kara. In fact, with how confusing things are, maybe it might even be for the best.

As Homeland finishes and Lucy and Alex chat quietly, Kara reminds herself this is good. Alex gets up to refill her glass and Lucy follows. The chat continues as Lucy rinses her dishes and Alex helpfully refills both her and Lucy's glasses.

They're almost finished with their shows before Kara notices something else that really isn't troubling at all, no.

Lucy is half cuddled into Alex's side under the blanket that's stretched over all three of their laps. Both Alex and Lucy have had a few glasses of wine, and Lucy is barely keeping her eyes open. Her head slumps to rest on Alex's shoulder. Alex remains focused on the television.

Kara has no idea what's happening on screen, caught up with how comfortable Lucy looks before her eyes finally slide shut.

Some time later after Kara has forced herself to at least pretend she's watching Game of Thrones, Alex finally says something.

"I think she's asleep," comes the low whisper.

"She is," Kara confirms in a soft voice.

"We can finish this episode another time. I can come by more normally now that she and I have officially met." Alex almost sounds affectionate as she looks down at Lucy. Kara has to swallow down her jealousy. _No_ , she wants to say. _No, you can not come over more often_.

"Okay," Kara says instead as she gets up and moves around to the other side of the couch. She gently eases Lucy away from Alex and carefully cradles her until Alex stands. Kara's glad for her strength as she effortlessly settles Lucy into a comfortable sleeping position.

Alex is quiet as she remains off to the side.

Kara doesn't notice her until she finishes tucking Lucy in. "What?"

"Come here a minute," Alex says as she nods off in the direction of the kitchen.

Though she doesn't understand what Alex wants to talk about, Kara shrugs and follows along.

"You _like_ her."

The words are spoken without judgement.

Kara chuckles anxiously and reaches up to adjust her glasses. "What do you mean?"

Alex doesn't say anything, her hands rising to rest on her hips as she cocks an eyebrow at Kara.

"Okay, maybe. A little. She's nice. I feel bad. There's...I don't know. It's complicated." She's tempted to discuss the dreams again, but now isn't the time. Lucy is practically in the same room, even if she is asleep.

"I went and spoke with her at CatCo today. I didn't want this to be awkward for you or for her, and I know that she's your friend." Alex pauses and Kara swallows. "I like Lucy, and when she's had more time to deal with her own stuff, I think you should talk to her."

Kara wants to ask a million questions, but again the time isn't right. Alex has made her feel better and worse and a bunch of other things Kara can't name. It was stupid of her to be jealous of Alex. She steps forward and isn't surprised when Alex immediately opens her arms.

"I love you," Kara says as the hug ends.

"I love you too." Alex smiles. "Normally I'd stay over, but I think it's best if you have some time to yourself."

Kara considers how much Alex has had to drink and bites at her lower lip. "You want me to fly you home?"

"I can take a cab, it's fine."

Kara rolls her eyes. "You know it'll take me, like, five minutes tops."

"Fine, I'm really too tired to argue." Alex yawns as if to emphasize her point.

When Kara returns to the apartment several minutes later, Lucy is still fast asleep on the couch. Kara smiles down at her before retiring to her own room.

* * *

Lucy is beautiful in the mornings with her hair mussed from sleep and a dreamy smile on her face. Kara admires the contrast of her dark hair splayed out over the light pastel of the pillow.

"Hey," Lucy whispers as she blinks in an effort to clear her vision.

"Hey," Kara replies with a stupid grin on her face.

Lucy's smile widens. "What are you so happy about? You woke up before the alarm again."

Kara chuckles because Lucy is technically right. "You look really peaceful when you sleep. Just...seeing you like that, here - it just, I can't explain it. I guess it's just kind of like remembering our first kiss and the first time you told me you love me all at once."

Lucy's breath catches, and then she scoots closer to Kara with a wry grin. "It's hard to believe you're the same woman that was so nervous about asking me out that you broke a chair."

"That so wasn't my fa-" Kara smiles when she's interrupted with a kiss.

She loves how Lucy kisses; slow and thorough as if the only thing in the world she can think of is making sure every last bit of Kara's lips are given proper attention.

"You have morning breath," Kara mumbles as the kiss ends.

She laughs when she's swatted in the face with a pillow. It doesn't hurt, but Lucy knows that. Lucy rolls over with a huff and pulls the covers high up over her shoulders.

" _Lucy_ ," Kara says in a voice laden with affection, "I didn't say I minded."

Lucy doesn't respond, so Kara shifts behind her until they're spooning.

"I love you," she says as she gently curls her arm over the dip of Lucy's waist.

Kara blinks and rubs at her eyes. Her vision is blurry after sleeping, but it's abundantly clear that the space next to her is empty. Her chest aches and her eyes sting.

She should be used to this by now - happy dreams with Lucy followed by the reality of waking up alone.

She's not.

There's movement out in the living room, and after nearly two weeks of having Lucy at her apartment, the sound of Lucy's bare feet on the tiled floor is familiar.

She has a moment of utter confusion, struggling to distinguish reality from the still fresh dream.

"Lucy doesn't love you," Kara says to herself in a low voice. She swallows hard at the thickness that's formed in her throat because she knows it's true. It hurts the most right after waking up, but it's proven to be the most effective way to help her focus on what's real.

The last thing she'd want to do is surprise Lucy with a hug or a kiss when the dream is still fogging up her mind.

She forces herself up and on with her routine. By the time she's relieved her bladder and washed up, Kara feels almost normal again. She chuckles at herself for getting so wrapped up in a dream.

It's silly, really.

The dreams had started without warning and without her permission. Lucy is her friend, and a great one at that. She should be able to laugh off these dreams by now, but there's something to them that makes such feats hollow.

She shakes away her troublesome thoughts as she heads out into the rest of her apartment.

"Morning Kara," Lucy says between bites of her cereal.

She looks adorable in grey sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, feet curled to the side.

The ache in Kara's chest intensifies, and she smiles. "Morning Lucy. Did you sleep well?"

Kara moves past Lucy as if it's any other morning, focusing on the shelf that has her cereal. She can do this, she can act normal.

"Kind of. I had a really weird dream."

For the briefest moment Kara panics, her hand trembling as she reaches out for her Frosted Flakes. She steadies herself. "Oh yeah?"

She applauds herself for only sounding mildly curious.

"Yeah. I don't remember most of it, but I think it involved a little green man trying to sell me hair care products?" Lucy's voice is high - a mix of confusion and amusement.

Kara laughs because she immediately pictures a tiny J'onn foisting a suitcase of old fashioned shampoo at Lucy. She brings up a hand to cover her mouth, glad for the nth time that J'onn's mind reading abilities fail on Kryptonians.

The vision does her a favor in breaking her out of the dream-funk, and she sighs as she finishes preparing her breakfast and takes a seat opposite Lucy on one of the living room chairs.

Lucy's smile is big and it makes something in Kara's stomach twist. She shoves a spoonful of cereal into her mouth to distract herself from the feeling.

"Kara," Lucy begins as her eyes drop down to her own bowl, "there's something I kind of wanted to ask you about…"

Kara's heart pumps erratically as her mind travels over a gamut of questions. _Does Lucy know about the dreams? Supergirl?_

"What is it?" she asks carefully.

Lucy drags her spoon slowly through the remainder of her milk. "Would it...be okay if I stayed here a while longer? I know I said I wouldn't be here long, and it's totally okay if you say no, but I really like being here."

"You have like _no_ privacy here, how can you like it?" Kara blurts out before she can think.

Laughter isn't the reaction she expects, but it is the one she receives.

"What?" Kara asks self consciously.

Lucy leans forward and sets her bowl on the coffee table, her short wavy hair trailing across her jaw and distracting Kara from her unease.

"Kara, I used to be in the Army. You and Alex are great." Lucy leans back and rests an elbow on the back of the couch, combing her hand through her hair and further distracting Kara.

Kara pushes aside the sense of deja vu and offers Lucy a tentative smile. She doesn't want to feel weird about how great Alex and Lucy get along, but she does. "We're just, you know," Kara shrugs. Alex is her best friend and confidant, and there's no one she's more comfortable with.

Well, except Lucy - when Lucy isn't making her stomach twist into knots with how casually beautiful she is first thing in the morning.

"Great. _Amazing_ , that's what you guys are," Lucy says softly. She clears her throat and looks down. "Since I moved here to be with James, I've felt lonely. Even with him around, he didn't seem like he was really with me. I guess I should be used to it by now."

Lucy's hair slips to cover half of her face and Kara finds herself sitting straighter as she stares at Lucy and waits for her to elaborate.

Lucy's throat works visibly before she speaks again. "Lois has always been the superstar of the family. It got worse after Mom died - she was half Lebanese you know - and Dad could hardly look at me. Lois inherited his coloring. I had to join the Army for him to even acknowledge me again."

Kara's hands begin to curl tightly against her bowl, though she remembers to ease up in time not to destroy it and send cereal and milk everywhere. "I can't believe that - you're, you're _incredible_. You're smart and funny, and you're _so_ good at your job. You make my life so much easier at CatCo, and," Kara swallows as the next words stick in her throat for a moment, "I know Alex totally loves you, and she usually only manages to not-hate my friends."

There's a pink flush in Lucy's cheeks that makes Kara feel warm in ways she doesn't want to dwell on, but then Lucy _looks_ at her.

Lucy's green eyes are glimmering with emotion; surprise and an intensity Kara can only remember from dreams. They stare at each other as Kara's heart pounds loudly in her ears.

Kara glances away - she's too warm and her breathing is erratic - and almost sighs in relief. "You can stay here as long as you want," she says without looking back at Lucy.

"Thanks." Lucy's voice is quiet, but the whisper-like quality to it makes goosebumps ripple over Kara's skin.

"No problem."

* * *

As the weeks pass Kara doesn't ask how long Lucy wants to stay, only insisting that they should get Lucy at _least_ a twin bed and a privacy screen which Lucy laughingly agrees to.

It takes some maneuvering of furniture, but Kara's happy that she's finally given Lucy something a little bit more than her couch.

She's only mildly irritated when Alex agrees to help with "moving day" and Lucy praises them both for managing to easily rearrange everything. Kara wants to pout because _hello, super strength_ , but she still hasn't told Lucy.

Kara blows out a breath and splashes water on her face. She pats it dry and checks her appearance in the mirror one last time before heading out.

She's really not ready to find Alex and Lucy sharing an intimate hug in her living room. She's...really, really not.

"Um," she clears her throat and forces herself to look anywhere but at the woman she might kind of love and Kara's traitor of a sister, "did you guys still want to order pizza?"

Kara can practically hear them jump apart. There's a sour taste in the back of her throat and Kara counts to ten in her head before she can look at either of them. Looking at Lucy only makes Kara sad, so she focuses on Alex. A little anger, she can handle.

"Already ordered it," Alex says as she rocks back on her heels and tucks her hands into her back pockets.

Lucy's arms cross over her chest, her hands rubbing at her upper arms. "Actually, I think I'm going to grab a shower while we wait for the food. Maneuvering the bed up the stairs got me a little sweaty."

"Sure," Kara says with a forced smile. She waits until she hears the bathroom door locks before she shoots Alex a wounded look. "What are you doing? It's barely been a month and a half since she broke up with James!"

Alex's mouth opens, but no words come out. Her brow furrows as she gives Kara a low look. "Kara, what are you talking about?"

"You're, you, you are _so_ putting the moves on her and she's still not totally okay with how things went with James and I can't...I can't believe you would do that." Kara is furious with herself for nearly losing control, the angry tears welling in her eyes are no doubt a dead giveaway.

"Kara, sometimes you're so _thick_ , I don't," Alex stops speaking with a grunt, her hands moving to her hips and then down to her sides as she takes a few jerky steps to the side and back. "Lucy's my friend, and I think instead of projecting stuff that isn't there between her and me, you need to stop being scared and just _tell her how you feel_."

Kara's stomach flops, her head ducking down as a few of her tears spill over onto her cheeks. "Sorry," she says after a few moments.

Alex's aggrieved sigh is loud, and then Kara's being enveloped in a full body hug.

"You give the best hugs," Kara mumbles against the fabric of Alex's plaid shirt.

"A shame you don't remember that when you're being kind of a jerk," Alex mutters.

Kara maturely responds by pinching Alex's side.

"Case in point," Alex says grumpily as she steps back and rubs at her side.

Kara grins brightly and pokes out her tongue.

Alex heaves a sigh and rolls her eyes. "You're so mature," comes the wry comment.

"I know, right?" Kara says as she skips over to the kitchen to inspect the contents of the refrigerator.

"Seriously though, you need to tell her how you feel."

The refrigerator door handle squeaks out a warning in response to Kara's grip. She eases it, because she doesn't have any more spare handles hanging around after the last time.

"It's too soon," Kara says as she stares at a half-empty gallon of milk, "she needs more time."

So caught up in her staring contest with the dairy is she that she fails to notice the throw pillow being tossed hard at the back of her head.

"You suck," Kara declares as she closes the fridge and kicks the pillow away from her with a huff.

* * *

Kara hums and scoots back a little so she's pressed tighter against the warm body at her back. She'd had a rough day as Supergirl, and she and Alex had decided to go out to blow off some steam. Lucy had, of course, been invited along.

The night had been...interesting, to say the least. Lucy really loves to dance. She and Alex had spent a lot of time on the dance floor, with Kara hesitant to go out and join them. The way Lucy moved was too distracting, especially in the slinky shirt that rose every time Lucy's arms did the same. Kara had really not been prepared for how physically fit Lucy is.

Toward the end of the night Kara had been hauled off to the dance floor by a very inebriated Alex, and Kara could say that she'd even had...fun.

Alex's arm shifts around her waist, and Kara smiles. Alex is going to be _so_ hung over.

Kara turns, an evil grin on her face - only to freeze when she finds _Lucy_ curled around her instead of Alex.

She can only stare as the reality of their position sinks in. Lucy had moved when Kara did, and now instead of just an arm, there's a leg slung over Kara's as well.

When had Lucy crawled into her bed? She remembers Alex flopping over onto the couch the previous night, but she certainly doesn't remember _this_.

Is she dreaming?

Part of her wants to flee, but she can't. The moment is...perfect. Quiet, peaceful. Kara forces herself to relax.

She's woken up like this _so_ many times in her dreams - waking and not - that part of her is certain that this isn't reality.

Her eyes close as she lets herself soak up the moment. She falls back asleep.

"Kara?" a sleepy voice asks some time later.

"Hm?" Kara inquires without opening her eyes.

"Did you mean what you just said?" Lucy sounds slightly more awake.

Kara opens her eyes slowly. She's had this dream before. "What?"

Lucy looks nervous - more nervous than Kara remembers. Her green eyes are intent as she looks Kara carefully over. "You were talking in your sleep."

Kara smiles. Yes, she's had this dream. "What did I say?"

"You're Supergirl," Lucy whispers with wide eyes.

"What?" Kara says as she bolts up in bed, suddenly very much awake. That is _not_ how the dream goes.

"Is it...is it true?" Lucy insists as she stares up at Kara.

Panic seizes Kara's chest. She's supposed to tell Lucy she loves her, not that she's Supergirl. Lucy _hates_ Supergirl.

Her eyes sting and she hugs her knees to her chest. "W-what would you say if I said yes?"

Lucy frowns and rolls over onto her back. She stares silently up at the ceiling for a few moments. "I would say, 'great, now Lois is going to say I'm trying to copy her again'."

Lucy sounds anything but happy, and Kara is just...confused.

"What?" Nothing makes sense. She hasn't even had time to go to the bathroom yet, dammit.

Her thoughts are interrupted when Lucy jerks a pillow over onto her face and screams into it. "Oh my god, Alex is right. You're so bad at this."

Kara's eyebrows slowly arch as she deciphers the mumbled words, her eyes widening just as slowly. "Um, bad...bad at what?"

Lucy screams into her pillow again. Kara is about to speak when the pillow is suddenly removed, and then Lucy is rolling over onto her knees. Kara barely has time to react when Lucy braces her hands on either side of Kara's head and leans in.

Kara's eyes flutter shut as she tilts her head up in reflex, prepared and not prepared to feel the soft touch of Lucy Lane's lips against her own.

It's everything like her dreams and not. Lucy still kisses like the only thing in the world that matters is lavishing attention on Kara's lips - the only difference is that it feels _way_ better than Kara imagined.

"You have morning breath," Kara mutters stupidly as the kiss ends.

Lucy laughs and leans in again. "Deal with it, Danvers."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I picture the Lois of this universe more of an auburn/dark reddish haired woman. I'm totally influenced by Amy Adams in the Man of Steel movie for this, but it seemed appropriate for this.

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt was received through an anonymous user: "Kara has a dream (like a super domestic dream) about Lucy but the next day she has trouble determining what was part of the dream and what is real life."


End file.
